2. •Barack Obama
i. He is the current 44th President of the
United States.
ii. His Full name is Barack Hussein Obama II.
iii. He was born in August 4, 1961 (age 53) at
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States.
3. •Accomplishments Or
Contributions by Obama
i. Ended the War in Iraq: Ordered all U.S.
military forces out of the country. Last
troops left on December 18, 2011.
ii. Eliminated Osama bin laden: In 2011,
ordered special forces raid of secret
compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in
which the terrorist leader was killed
and a trove of al-Qaeda documents
was discovered.
iii. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended
1990s-era restriction and formalized new
policy allowing gays and lesbians to
serve openly in the military for the first
time.
4. iv. Toppled Moammar Gaddafi: In March 2011,
joined a coalition of European and Arab
governments in military action, including
air power and naval blockade, against
Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan civilians
and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-
year rule ended when the dictator
was overthrown and killed by rebels on
October 20, 2011. No American lives were
lost.
v. Improved America’s Image Abroad: With
new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric,
reversed a sharp decline in world opinion
toward the U.S. (and the corresponding
loss of “soft power”) during the Bush
years. From 2008 to 2011, favourable opinion
toward the United States rose in ten of
fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew
Global Attitudes Project, with an average
increase of 26 percent.
5. vi. Boosted Fuel Efficiency Standards: Released new fuel efficiency
standards in 2011 that will nearly double the fuel economy for cars
and trucks by 2025.
vii. Coordinated International Response to Financial Crisis: To keep
world economy out of recession in 2009 and 2010, helped secure
from G-20 nations more than $500 billion for the IMF to provide
lines of credit and other support to emerging market countries,
which kept them liquid and avoided crises with their currencies.
viii. . Passed Mini Stimuli: To help families hurt by the recession and
spur the economy as stimulus spending declined, signed series of
measures (July 22, 2010; December 17, 2010; December 23, 2011) to
extend unemployment insurance and cut payroll taxes.
6. ix. Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming
home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health
problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010
Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011
budget by 10 percent
x. Passed Credit Card Reforms: Signed the Credit Card
Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (2009), which
prohibits credit card companies from raising rates without
advance notification, mandates a grace period on interest rate
increases, and strictly limits overdraft and other fees.
7. xi. Improved Food Safety System: In 2011, signed FDA Food Safety
Modernization Act, which boosts the Food and Drug
Administration’s budget by $1.4 billion and expands its regulatory
responsibilities to include increasing number of food inspections,
issuing direct food recalls, and reviewing the current food safety
practices of countries importing products into America.
xii. Invested Heavily in Renewable Technology: As part of the 2009
stimulus, invested $90 billion, more than any previous
administration, in research on smart grids, energy efficiency,
electric cars.
8. xiii. Improved School Nutrition: In coordination with Michelle
Obama, signed Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010 mandating
$4.5 billion spending boost and higher nutritional and health
standards for school lunches. New rules based on the law,
released in January, double the amount of fruits and
vegetables and require only whole grains in food served to
students.
xiv. . Avoided Scandal: As of November 2011, served longer than
any president in decades without a scandal, as measured by
the appearance of the word “scandal” (or lack thereof) on the
front page of theWashington Post.
9. xv. Expanded Health Coverage for Children: Signed 2009 Children’s
Health Insurance Authorization Act, which allows the Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover health care for 4
million more children, paid for by a tax increase on tobacco
products.
xvi. Recognized the Dangers of Carbon Dioxide: In 2009, EPA
declared carbon dioxide a pollutant, allowing the agency to
regulate its production.
xvii. Expanded Stem Cell Research: In 2009, eliminated the Bush-era
restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, which shows
promise in treating spinal injuries, among many other areas.